The Transparency and Accountability Development Policy Loan for the Hakama programme was approved by the Bank yesterday.
It follows the adoption, in 2011, of a series of constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening civic engagement and access to information in Morocco. The Hakama programme has been specifically developed to support these new rights.
It will introduce a comprehensive package of structural governance reforms across the Moroccan public sector including central government, state-owned enterprises and local government.
Simon Gray, World Bank director for the Maghreb department, said: ‘The Hakama programme will give greater impetus to the ongoing governance reforms in Morocco and will support key areas that can significantly leverage the performance and transparency of the public sector while enhancing citizen information and participation in decision making.’
Specifically, the programme will support the introduction of performance-based budgeting, procurement reforms, and a corporate governance code for state-owned enterprises. It will also put in place a legal framework for public-private partnerships and an integrated financial management system for local government.
Fabian Seidere, World Bank task team leader said: ‘The Hakama programme will introduce a programmatic and performance focus in the budget which will increase the transparency of budget allocations as well as the external and internal accountability over public expenditure.
‘It will help modernise public sector management and meet the constitutional objective of balanced public finances in the medium term.’
The European Union and the African Development Bank helped prepare the Hakama programme and these institutions will supply an additional $250m to support budget and procurement improvements and open governance reforms.
Policy advice and technical assistance will come from the World Bank and the Middle East and North Africa Multi-Donor Trust Fund. A $4m Transition Fund grant will provide technical assistance for the implementation of reforms targeting public engagement, performance-based budgeting and fiscal decentralisation.
